Secrets of the Blessed
Quiet Meditations for Troubled Souls
by
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Does Jesus Care? I Mean, Does He Really Care for Me?
Jesus cares about people. Nowhere is that fact more evident than in the Gospels. During the years of his ministry, he walked from town to town, village to village, and even city to city. Great crowds of people would gather to hear him preach and to feel the touch of his healing hands.
He was so busy at times, his mother and brothers thought he was losing his mind from all the stress, and they sought to rescue him. He was so tired that he fell asleep in the bow of a boat during a storm that frightened seasoned fishermen. He was always with people, and would even take little children up in his arms to bless them. He was pressed on every side, but still he recognized when a needy woman touched just the hem of his clothes.
People, people, everywhere, but he never complained. Thousands gathered on the hillsides to listen to him teach for three days. When it was time to end this marathon seminar, they were so hungry that they were in danger of fainting. So, much to his disciples’ surprise, he fed them all from the scant resources they found--a little boy’s lunch.
He healed the sick. He cast out demons. The blind could see. The deaf could hear. The lame walked. The mute talked. Why, he even raised the dead. All this happened because Jesus cared about people.
Matthew recorded Jesus’s response to all these people. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:35–36, NIV).
Jesus was moved with compassion. That means Jesus felt something inside. It is all one word, which means, literally, “the bowels.” When we talk about our emotions, we talk about how our heart feels. In the first century, the seat of human emotion was the general area of organs.
I think we can identify with the concept. I have often felt that sinking, hurting, sickening feeling in my chest and in the pit of my stomach when seeing or hearing of the calamity of someone I love. Sometimes it happens when watching the news and hear of the abuse that has been heaped on the innocent.
When Jesus saw this great crowd of people, he was moved internally. He felt compassion for these people. Why? It was not just because they had physical needs. He had been taking care of those. What moved him was a threefold observation: They were harassed, helpless, and aimless—like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus looked beyond the obvious to see what was going on in their innermost being. Matthew recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah as he reflected on Jesus’s healing ministry: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20, NIV). We may be bruised, but he will not break us. We may be smoldering like a lamp that is out of oil, but he won’t quench us. He heals bruises and ignites glowing embers.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19, NIV).
He came to share the good news with us. It is the news of eternal life through his finished work on the cross and resurrection. We have been slaves of sin, but his blood frees us. We were born spiritually blind, but now we see. This was his mission.
He cares for us. It is not just the love that compelled him to the cross. It is his compassion for us, his hurting bride. The ache in his heart for us sent him to bring deliverance from our harassers, hope in our helplessness, and guidance in our aimlessness.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30, NIV).
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About the Book
No one ever promised life had to be fair, but does it have to hurt so much? Is there any hope that this pain will ever end?
Wherever Jesus went, he was surrounded by a multitude of hurting people—folks that needed someone to care about and for them. He saw them as harassed, scattered sheep in desperate need of a shepherd. To each of us, he has brought hope for deliverance, healing from our sorrows, and forgiveness for our sins.
Whether we investigate the heartbeat of the Psalmists, the trials of the patriarchs, or the pains of the apostles, we find people who faced the abuse life arbitrarily hurls our way. These saints found healing through their relationship with their God. They wrote fearlessly of their experiences so we might learn from them.
Secrets of the Blessed takes us on a journey of faith through our pain. There is truly hope for a blessed, happy life when we learn to believe God even when he seems unfair to us. There really are no secrets, but there are nuggets of wisdom we can mine from God’s Word.
About the Author
Charles Lemaster writes from the perspective of someone who has been there. In his folksy writing style, he illuminates Bible truth from the viewpoint of personal transparency. He is an alumnus of Cedarville University, Ohio, and a graduate of Appalachian Bible College, West Virginia.
He served as a pastor and conference speaker for fourteen years in Ohio and western New York State. Most recently, he leads the Hope Sunday school class in his home church, as well as small-group Bible studies. He regularly conducts worship at a local assisted-living retirement center in Miamisburg, Ohio, and periodically preaches in his home church.
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he has spent almost twenty years learning how to manage his mental illness from a biblical perspective. He describes himself as “one beggar showing other beggars where to find bread.” His burden and desire is to help encourage other folks with bipolar disorder and their families to live blessed lives through their commitment to Christ.
He and his wife, Pam, reside in West Carrollton, Ohio.